Marching Sands

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Marching Sands is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Harold Lamb • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

"You want me to fail."

It was neither question nor statement.

It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/21

Marching Sands

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Marching Sands is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

"You want me to fail."

/juː wɑːnt miː tuː feɪl/

Line 2

It was neither question nor statement.

/ɪt wɑːz ˈniːðər ˈkwestʃən nɔːr ˈsteɪtmənt/

Line 3

It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

/ɪt keɪm ɪn ə ˈlevəl vɔɪs ðə wɜːrdz ˈdrɑːpɪŋ ˈsloʊli frʌm ðə lɪps ʌv ðə mæn ɪn ðə tʃer æz ɪf hiː weɪd iːtʃ wʌn/

Line 4

He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

/hiː maɪt hæv bɪn ˈspiːkɪŋ əˈlaʊd tuː hɪmˈself æz hiː sæt ˈsterɪŋ dərˈektli ɪn frʌnt ʌv hɪm ˈpaʊərfəl hændz krɔːst ˈplæsɪdli ˈoʊvər hɪz niːz/

Line 5

He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

aloud adverb US /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading “He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.”

dropping adjective US /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/

coming down freely under the influence of gravity

From this reading “It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.”

fail verb US /feɪl/

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading “"You want me to fail."”

level noun US /ˈlevəl/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading “It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.”

placidly adverb US /ˈplæsɪdli/

in a quiet and tranquil manner

From this reading “He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.”

staring adjective US /ˈsterɪŋ/

(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder

From this reading “He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.”

statement noun US /ˈsteɪtmənt/

a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading “It was neither question nor statement.”

weighed verb US /weɪd/

past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight

From this reading “It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

glance at verb + particle

In this reading “He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.”

look at verb + particle

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.”

in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.”

other men adjective + noun

In this reading “He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.”

All words in this reading · 61

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

aloudadverbUS /əˈlaʊd/

using the voice; not silently

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/

placed crosswise

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

directlyadverbUS /dərˈektli/

without deviation

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/

coming down freely under the influence of gravity

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

failverbUS /feɪl/

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading "You want me to fail."

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was neither question nor statement.

kneesnounUS /niːz/

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

levelnounUS /ˈlevəl/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "You want me to fail."

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading It was neither question nor statement.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading It was neither question nor statement.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

placidlyadverbUS /ˈplæsɪdli/

in a quiet and tranquil manner

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

powerfuladjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərfəl/

having great power or force or potency or effect

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading It was neither question nor statement.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

speakingnounUS /ˈspiːkɪŋ/

the utterance of intelligible speech

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

staringadjectiveUS /ˈsterɪŋ/

(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder

From this reading He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his knees.

statementnounUS /ˈsteɪtmənt/

a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading It was neither question nor statement.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "You want me to fail."

twiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "You want me to fail."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was neither question nor statement.

weighedverbUS /weɪd/

past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading It came in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed each one.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman might glance at once--and remember.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You want me to fail."

Chapter 1 of Marching Sands by Harold Lamb holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of Marching Sands contain?

Chapter 1 holds 105 sentences of Marching Sands, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Marching Sands by Harold Lamb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 sentences, grouped into 21 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of Marching Sands?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Chapter I

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